Harry Coppell was the guest speaker at the launch of the School Games held at James Hall & Co. Ltd’s SPAR Distribution Centre in Preston and he helped vault them into a 20th year with every edition over the last two decades sponsored by SPAR.
Seventy primary school children from across the Red Rose County attended the launch to hear Harry’s story, posed for photos with Harry, and met SPAR mascot SPARtan who provided entertainment.
Harry spoke about how he first got into participating in the pole vault, his time in the Lancashire School Games and the National School Games, and his journey to becoming a professional athlete.
He currently holds the men’s British Pole Vault record, competed at the Tokyo Olympics where he finished seventh, and he is a Commonwealth Games medal winner. When he is not competing and training, he helps deliver School Games activity in West Lancashire.
Harry said: “I was delighted to be asked to launch the 20th SPAR Lancashire School Games in a milestone year and it was a lovely chance for a trip down memory lane to where it all started for me. The children were really engaged and asked some great questions about my career.
It is a big 12 months for Harry with the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July next year closely followed by the European Athletics Championships – sponsored by SPAR – which are coming to Great Britain for the first time when they are held in Birmingham in August 2026.
Run by Active Lancashire and the School Games Organiser Network, the Lancashire School Games have been sponsored by SPAR through its association with James Hall & Co. Ltd since 2006.